[July 17, 2014]SPRINGFIELD
–
New State Parks Guide:
Illinois State Parks are great parks. Check out the new edition of
the Illinois State Parks guide and head to a state park. The
booklet is a great resource for information on visiting a state
park, fish and wildlife area, recreation area, or other IDNR site.
The Illinois State Parks guide is posted on the IDNR website
in PDF format at
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/publications/documents/00000715.pdf

Online Dove Permits:
Applications will be accepted July 3-16 for the second lottery
for Illinois Free Dove Hunting Permits. Applications will be
accepted from resident hunters who were unsuccessful in the
first lottery, or residents who did not apply in the first
lottery. Applications will also be accepted from non-resident
hunters for the second lottery drawing. After the second
lottery permit application deadline on July 16, hunters may
apply for remaining free dove permits on a first-come,
first-served basis beginning at 8 a.m. on July 30 – Aug. 25.
For more information on dove hunting permit areas and free dove
permits, check the IDNR website at
www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/dove

Renew Watercraft Registration by Phone or Online:
Watercraft owners in Illinois are reminded that boat
registrations (except for non-powered watercraft) are good for
three years and have expiration dates of June 30. Watercraft
owners can renew registration online at
https://www.il.wildlifelicense.com/vehicle.php?action=vehiclelkup
or by phone by calling 1-866-867-3542. When renewing, watercraft
owners should have handy their Illinois registration number and
hull identification number (located on the registration card)
and pen and paper to record their confirmation number.

Non-motorized watercraft, canoes, kayaks and paddle boats in
Illinois are no longer required to be titled or registered in
Illinois Non-motorized watercraft owners are now required to
purchase a Water Usage Stamp for $6.00 per calendar year for
each of the first three vessels, and $3.00 each for any
additional vessels (plus an agent fee of $.50 will be charged
per vessel). The annual stamps expire on December 31 each
year. Water Usage Stamps are available from all DNR Direct
license and permit vendors. Check on DNR Direct vendor locations
at this link:
http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/
VendorListing.aspx

Endangered and Threatened Species Notice:
The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board is accepting
comments and evidence regarding the Board’s preliminary
decisions for revision of the Illinois Lists of Endangered and
Threatened Animal and Plant Species. The Board will receive
written comments through July 11, 2014. Directions about how to
submit comments and evidence via email, as well as a complete
list of the Board’s proposed changes and additional references,
including the current list of endangered and threatened species
approved in 2011, can be accessed at
http://www.dnr.state.il.us/espb/index.htm.
To request a hard copy of the list of proposed changes, other
materials, or to submit hard copy written comments, contact the
Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board, One Natural
Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271.

Natural Resources Advisory Board:
The IDNR Natural Resources Advisory Board will meet on Friday,
July 25 at 1:30 p.m. at IDNR Headquarters in Springfield.
Agenda items include wildlife management updates, grant program
information, the Illinois Conservation Foundation’s Torstenson
Youth Conservation Education Center, and an off-highway vehicle
trails update. The meeting is open to the public. For more
information, phone 217-785-0075.

Cache River Junior Naturalists Day:
Parents and children are invited to explore the ecology and
history of the Cache River wetlands through art, hands-on
learning, and simply getting out into the wild. Children who
complete the program will become a Cache River Junior
Naturalist, receiving a patch and certificate. The event for
children ages 7-15 is on Sun., July 13 from 10 a.m.-3
p.m. Register at 618-634-2231. The Cache River State Natural
Area Wetlands Center is located at 8885 State Route 37 South,
Cypress, IL 62923.

National Championships:
The World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL
welcomes the Scholastic Clay Target Program National Team
Championships and the Scholastic Pistol Program Junior/Senior
Championships on July 14-19. For information, check the
Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation website at
www.sssfonline.org

Grand American:
The Amateur Trapshooting Association’s 115th Grand
American World Trapshooting Championships are scheduled for Aug.
6-16 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta,
IL. Check the ATA website for details at
www.shootata.com

Oregon Trail Days Festival at Lowden State Park:
Visit Oregon, Illinois during the annual Oregon Trail Days
Festival at Lowden State Park on July 19-20. The event
celebrates the region’s Native American heritage, highlighted by
Lorado Taft’s Eternal Indian statute, a Rock River bluff
landmark at Lowden State Park that was dedicated in July 1911.
Proceeds from the festival will assist in the restoration of the
iconic statue. The $7 per person entry fee includes parking
(children 6 and under admitted free). For details on the Oregon
Trail Days Festival, check the website at
www.oregontraildays.org.

Conservation World:
Make plans now to attend the 2014 Illinois State Fair and visit
Conservation World on the state fairgrounds, Aug. 8-17.
Conservation World features nearly 30 acres of family activities
including fishing, archery, and family entertainment, plus
expert information on habitat enhancement, state parks,
wildlife, fish, and forestry. Conservation World is open
weekend days from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and weekdays from 11 a.m. - 7
p.m. throughout the state fair in Springfield.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman Workshop:
The IDNR invites women to register now for the next ‘Becoming an
Outdoors Woman’ workshop, Sept. 26-28 at Pere Marquette State Park,
Grafton. BOW workshops are designed to provide introductory
instruction in outdoor-related activities. Classes are conducted in
a casual and non-competitive atmosphere by experienced instructors.
The cost is $170 per person, which includes the workshop, meals,
class supplies and equipment, overnight lodging, prizes and more.
Registration is limited, so sign up today. Workshop and
registration materials can be found on the IDNR website at
www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/bow

Wingshooting Clinics: Wingshooting
clinics will be conducted at sites throughout Illinois through early
November. Most clinics are conducted on weekends. Wingshooting
clinics are held on IDNR sites, cooperating gun clubs, hunting
preserves, and farms. Wingshooting clinics for youth (age 10-15)
and women provide instruction on safely firing a shotgun at a moving
target with reasonable reliability. Hunter wingshooting clinics are
hands-on, and include extensive live fire at a variety of clay
target presentations on sporting clays courses specifically designed
for teaching typical hunting situations. For the wingshooting
clinic schedule and more information, check the IDNR website:
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/programs
/wingshooting/wingshootinghome.htm

Satur-Play for Kids:
Every Saturday is Satur-Play! at the Illinois State Museum
in Springfield, with fun science experiments and art projects for
children and families. From 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturdays in July,
kids can create engineer a paper toy boat on July 19, and use
gelatin as a printmaking plate on July 26. Activities are free.
For more information, call 217-782-5955 at the Illinois State
Museum, 502 South Spring, Springfield.

French-Canadian Settlement Archaeology:
The Illinois State Museum’s monthly science series program for July
is “The Louis Blanchette Site: A Circa-1770 French-Canadian
Settlement” on Wed., July 9 at 7 p.m. Dr. Steve J. Dasovich of
Lindenwood University presents information on the French Colonial
Colonel Louis Blanchette site in St. Charles, MO. The program is
free at the ISM Research and Collections Center, 1011 East Ash St.,
Springfield, IL. For more information, phone 217-782-0061.

Super Saturdays:
“The Secret Life of Prairies” is the ‘Super Saturdays’ children’s
program at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield on Sat., July 12
from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Illinois was known as the Prairie State because
over half of it was once covered by tallgrass prairies. Now, less
than 1% of the prairie is left. From wildflowers to herds of bison,
kids can learn the secrets of our tallgrass prairies. For more
information, phone 217-782-6044.

Summer Fun Fridays:
Dickson Mounds Museum near Lewistown is hosting a summer program
series for kids ages 9 - 11 years old on Fridays in July. The
‘Summer Fun Fridays’series will be offered July 12, 19, and
26 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. with a different topic featured each
week. Call the Dickson Mounds Museum at 309-547-3721 to register.

Photos Needed from Kids for Conservation®:
IDNR is reviving the Kids for Conservation® program in an online
format, launching the program in August by featuring monarch
butterflies. Interested kids are asked to send in images of monarch
butterflies (all life stages) in Illinois, and the images will be
posted on the new Kids for Conservation® webpage – and at
Conservation World at the Illinois State Fair in August. Photos must
be taken in Illinois by an Illinois youth. The photos should not
include people. The images will be posted with the first name and
age of the photographer with each photograph, so please include that
information (no more than three images per youth). Images should be
emailed to
dnr.teachkids@Illinois.gov

Living with Wildlife:
The IDNR and UI Extension have teamed up to provide residents of
Illinois with information about how to coexist with wildlife,
especially in urban areas. Wildlife helps us maintain our
connection with nature. Helpful information on preventing problems
with wildlife can be found on the “Living with Wildlife in Illinois”
website at
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/